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Forde Abbey and Gardens

@fordeabbey

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Join us for snippets of daily life. Dating back to 1146 Forde Abbey and it’s beautifully diverse gardens is one of the most ancient houses in the UK.

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Still time to pluck a pumpkin before Halloween! 🎃

Hunt down your perfect gourd, carve some pumpkin guts, sink a spooky milkshake…

Whether you’re doing it for the ‘gram, prefer plucking your own root vegetable fresh from the soil or just love getting into the spirit of Halloween, I’ve rounded up the best places to go pumpkin picking in Somerset.

Check them out on the ol’ blog (link in bio of course!)

Slide 2 📸 @louisebodyphotography

#pumpkinpicking #somerset #pumpkinseason🎃 #somersetuk #pumpkinpatchfun

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Oh the irony of this sign at Forde Abbey. We’ve just had lunch there, there were at least eight dogs there in the café’s courtyard (including our 2) with their owners. All dogs, of various breeds, were impeccably behaved. Not so the group of six adults, standing in the centre of the courtyard chatting, allowing their many children to run riot, shouting and screaming, amongst all of us trying to enjoy a quiet lunch in the Autumn sunshine, without once trying to get their brats to stop disturbing people. And yet it is the poor dogs who the rules are set for, ironical indeed.

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Just finished making some kingfisher, I was lucky to see one at Forde Abbey on the pond. It inspired me to make one. Come and see me working at Forde Abbey. You might be lucky and see both my sculpture and the real kingfisher. #fordeabbey #westcountrypottersassociation #somersetcraftguild #cpa #raku
Simoneelesceramics.com

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Nice one at the Abbey today @fordeabbey

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Autumn palette: fully loaded 🍂

Enjoy bold, beautiful autumn colour at the RHS Partner Gardens this October 😍

RHS members get free access on selected days to over 240 gardens across the UK and overseas! Find out more about becoming a member at the link in bio.

(📷 Slide 1 @hidcotent © National Trust; Slide 2 @filoliestate © Mike James; Slide 3 @jardinsasnieres © Jardin du Plessis Sasnières; Slide 4 @fordeabbey © Paul Pudi; Slide 5 @greenislandgardensuk © Rosie Beattie; Slide 6 @chateaudurivau © Chateau du Rivau; Slide 7 @castlebromwichhallgardens © Castle Bromwich Historic Gardens Slide 8 @wentworth_woodhouse © Wentworth Woodhouse Preservation Trust; Slide 9 @sherbornecastle © Sherborne Castle Estates; Slide 10 @blenheimpalace © Blenheim Palace)

#RHSPartnerGardens A scenic view of a park featuring lush green grass and trees with vibrant red and green foliage. The background includes a mix of tall and medium-height trees, suggesting a seasonal transition. The setting is serene and natural.

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Great British Estates

They’re more than just grand properties for the wealthy.

For me, they are places of peace, for learning, and for appreciation of family lives gone by, with many still being the ancestral homes, and seats of families that have existed for generations.

Thanks to many associations such as @nationaltrust @historic_houses @landmarktrust just to name a few, and the current custodians of these properties, many of which are still lived in today, who dedicate their lives to maintaining these beautiful homes and estates, and all their history for us to experience today and hopefully for the future.

Great British Estates is solely an outlet for my adventures, and admiration for these places. Growing up visiting them as a child, they serve as one of the core pillars of my fascination in history.

I want to tell a story along the way about these places. How they played such an important role in British history, aswell as admiring what they provide today. Their unique architecture, interiors, paintings, and ultimately what makes these places so ‘Great’

#britishhistory #britishhistory #countryliving

In frame: Lanhydrock (National Trust) Cornwall

In frame: Killerton (National Trust) Devon

In frame: Belton House (National Trust) Lincolnshire

In frame: Farnborough Hall (National Trust) Oxfordshire

In frame: Caatle Drogo (National Trust) Devon

In frame: Forde Abbey (Historic House Association) Dorset

In frame: Lyme (National Trust) Cheshire

In frame: Mapperton House (Historic House Association) Dorset

In frame: Saltram House (National Trust) Devon

In frame: Eastnor Castle (Historic House Association) Herefordshire

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✍️…

“The Owl and the Pussy-cat went to sea In a beautiful pea-green boat, They took some honey, and plenty of money, Wrapped up in a five-pound note.”

— Edward Lear, The Owl and the Pussy-cat

The Owl and the Pussycat, now happily settled in the Long Garden at Forde Abbey.

You can find them there, along with a few other familiar characters from the workshop.

#TheOwlAndThePussycat #EdwardLear #FordeAbbey #BronzeSculpture GardenSculpture RobertJamesWorkshop

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A hidden gem of Somerset.

Rainy autumn days at Forde Abbey 🍂🌧️ Golden leaves, ancient stone, and the gentle sound of rain.
Fun fact: Forde Abbey began life as a Cistercian monastery in the 12th century, before becoming the beautiful country house and gardens we see today.

You are ready for the weekend ?
I am !

#somerset #rainyday #englishcountryside #englishgarden #autumngarden

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The kitchen garden at @fordeabbey is looking incredibly abundant. Wonderful to see the chef from their Abbot's Table restaurant, where we'd just had an early lunch, wandering around picking produce. Garden to table in less than five minutes. A few purchases in the nursery may have been made.

#dorsetgardentovisit
#kitchengarden
#dahliasofinstagram

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End of summer—final photo share. London—how I love thee…. You can’t beat an iconic red telephone box, or the nostalgia of calling home from said red box. ❤️

#telephonebox #londoncalling

There’s always an art moment—a visit to the Tate Modern to see: Tracey Emin, A Second Life. #traceyemin #tatemodern

Tate Modern—Tracey Emin: A Second Life, retrospective exhibition.

London life, strolling along The Mall with the family.

Guards on their way to Buckingham Palace, for the Changing of the Guard, beginning at St James’s Palace, Wellington Barracks.

Summer cocktails at The OWO, Raffles London hotel, The Guards Bar.

A morning exploring Borough Market. Strawberries and Nutella, yes please 😋

Family fun at Forde Abbey and Gardens in Dorset not far from our little cottage.

Built between 1133 and 1136, and formerly a Cistercian Monastery.

Countryside walks with a dog friend makes the moment more special—along with finding books in a box.

Completely forgot about the divine dinner experience with friends at Glebe House residing in the rolling hills of Devon.

Um, yum! Glebe was glorious.

This says it all really. 💜

Pub life and sunset smiles with my sister Sam.

Of course Frank posed for his pub shot.

Ben enjoying the good life on the Jurassic coastline of Dorset.

As summer ended, I took a much needed hiking trip to Beaver Creek, Colorado to practice before my big mountain hike!

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You all know by now I love a reflection shot, it’s a fantastic way to add dimension and perspective to an already appealing view. Always making the best of the light gifted to me ✨💫
This is one of my favourites, many years old now but hopefully it’s one that stands the test of time.
The historic walls of @fordeabbey at dawn, the ancient, lichen-covered stone, honeyed in early morning light.
The long pond is lined with late perennials and clipped yew. Dahlias and asters, vivid and jewel bright, mirrored with the slightest ripple, as though painted in abstract.
Have a wonderful weekend all ❤️💜

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#reflections #earlyautumn #fordeabbeygardens #englishgardens #clivenicholsphotography

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Name me the most common flower in the late summer garden ?
While you think let’s say goodbye to the summer garden.

Forde Abbey is a magnificent, privately owned former Cistercian monastery with a rich 900-year history. Nestled in the rolling countryside on the border of Dorset and Somerset near Chard, this Grade I listed treasure was converted into a palatial family home in the 17th century. Renowned architectural historian Nikolaus Pevsner even named it one of the “Hundred Best Buildings in England’’

#fordeabbey #somerset #englishgarden #englisharchitecture #fordeabbeygardens

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